Excerpt by Juan Guillen

Originally published in 2014

The rising popularity of (modern) Bachata in the US, and the globe for that matter, is understandable when you look at the history and similarities of Bachata and the Blues. They were both born out of pain…from the disenfranchised (slaves in the US and the poor and uneducated in the Dominican Republic). The lyrics are very similar and at times identical…both sang of a depressed mood. US Blues and Dominican Bachata were both rejected by society in their respective countries…yet Blues music is the grandfather and grandmother of what makes up most American music today.

LatinTRENDS brings you an in-depth look at the history and transition of both of these two genres and how this is influencing the growth and popularity of Bachata music in America and the world. Get the Blues – the Blues with a Latin twist – with this article.

By Ray Monell

Bachata and Blues, musical genres wrought by two prongs of the African diaspora in the Western Hemisphere, have outlived the powerful forces fixated on their suppression as soon as they came into existence. Through them was expressed the proverbial plight of the poor, those who would endure ineffable racial and economic discrimination long before reaching comparatively finer pastures.

Origins of Blues and Bachata

The term Blues and Bachata’s original name, amargue (which means “bitter” in Spanish), denote melancholy. Tales of unrequited love, randy encounters and the inhumane conditions beneath which the underprivileged lived and worked were common in both genres. Not coincidentally, Bachata is often referred to as Dominican Blues.

 

It is widely believed that Bachata first surfaced in the brothels and shantytowns of the Dominican Republic’s capital, Santo Domingo, in the early 20th century. It was virtually banned by dictator Rafael Trujillo, who instead made Merengue the country’s official musical form during the 1930s, according to the National Geographic Society. Trujillo’s three-decade reign (1930-61) was marked by torture, arbitrary imprisonments, the oppression and mass murder of Afro-Dominicans and Haitian immigrants, respectively, and economic policies that favored wealthy landowners over their workers.

Video 1,2 & 3 below shows 3 different kinds of Bachata rhythms

1.Video below shows a more traditional & faster paced Bachata, heavy on the acoustic guitars and drums

 

2. In the club- classic Bachata

 

3.Modern Day Bachata

The atmosphere was no kinder to African-Americans in the Deep South, where the institution of slavery was swiftly replaced by a sharecropping/tenant farming-dominated economy, Jim Crow laws (segregation) and the relentless terrorism of the Ku Klux Klan. During the first 3 1/2 decades of post-bellum America (1865-1900), wrote author Debra Devi for the Huffington Post this past January, “Plantation work songs were primarily sung a cappella, but after Emancipation traveling country-blues singers used the guitar and harmonica to earn money playing picnics and dances. Over time, the blues became music that expressed the singer’s struggles and passions, both carnal and spiritual.”

Harsh realities of the time required early Bachateros in the Dominican Republic, like African-American Blues musicians (known long ago as songsters) in the southern United States, to be as subversive as they were gifted in music.

“Culturally, the role of Bachata musicians in society was similar to the role Blues musicians played,” iASO Records President Benjamin de Menil, 38, told LatinTRENDS in late March. “Bachateros viewed themselves, similar to how Bluesmen viewed themselves, a little bit like outcasts. And sometimes defiant outcasts, like, ‘I’m a crazy drunk and I’m proud of it.‘ There was a flamboyant style to Bachateros and Blues players. There was also the association of Blues with brothels and prostitution back in the old days, and Bachata also had that association.

“Both styles were the popular music of the underclass. These were people that lived in rural areas and worked in farms, people who were manual laborers, and this was their outlet.”

History of Musica Bachata

What came to be known as Bachata—a term that previously denoted Bolero parties in poor, rural or urban communities—blossomed artistically following Trujillo’s assassination in 1961. Bachata’s commercial viability, on the other hand, was stunted by how poorly it was still perceived by the establishment in the 1970s, a decade in which it received little exposure on Dominican radio and television.

By the early 1980s, however, popular demand (specifically among U.S.-based Dominicans) ended Bachata’s censorship, paving the way for the genre’s growth and modernization.

“Many of the Dominicans that emigrated to the U.S. came from a working class background, and they brought with them their taste in music,” de Menil, who has worked with Leonardo Paniagua and Joan Soriano, said. “They came to the U.S., they were able to rise up and get better lives for themselves, and have supported Bachata. That community helped bring the Bachateros that started to perform in the U.S. They also helped to spread Bachata to other [Latinos], and then those people brought it back to the country of their origin. That recognition has helped Bachata’s case in the Dominican Republic. People actually feel more pride for the music when they see foreigners respecting it.”

“You can separate the Bachata that we know about,” he continued, “which is the Bachata that’s been recorded, into two categories: The old fashion style, what was going on from the 1960s through the end of the 1980s, and the modern style, when the electric guitar replaced the acoustic guitar. The 1980s was the transitional period. Anthony Santos and Luis Vargas was the beginning of the 1990s, and they were the first generation of truly modern Bachateros. Blas Duran was a little bit before them, and many people say he was the first one to develop the modern Bachata sound.”

Originating in the Mississippi River Delta area prior to spreading to other parts of the Deep South, Blues was a secular derivation of African-American religious music (i.e., the Negro spirituals). Back then, it was considered sinful to play, often referred to as “the devil’s music.” But much like the nationwide condemnation of gangster rap by politicians and concerned parents in the early 1990s, the indignation targeting Blues music made it a forbidden fruit too tempting to resist.

Thus, the Blues sound transcended racial lines, but initially under race-specific designations introduced by the recording industry in the 1920s: race music (performed by/marketed toward blacks) and hillbilly music (performed by/marketed toward whites).

An estimated 1.6 million southern blacks relocated to northern states between the 1910s and ’30s, greatly expanding the sphere of Afro-American music’s influence. This particular wave of the Great Migration—i.e., the migration of 6 million African-Americans from the South to the Northeast, Midwest and West from 1910-70—coincided with the Harlem Renaissance, a time that saw the rise of composer Duke Elington and poet Langston Hughes, among other prominent artists. Blues would serve as a template for rock and roll and experience a resurgence in the late 1960s and early ’70s courtesy of Janis Joplin and Jimi Hendrix, both of whom are members of the (dead at) 27 Club.

Any similarity Blues, or any of its myriad relatives, has with Bachata, de Menil believes, can actually be traced as far back as the ’60s, long predating Aventura’s imbuing of the genre with hip hop and contemporary Rhythm and Blues (R&B) elements.

“I think that infusion has been going on for a very long time,” de Menil said. “When you hear the first [Bachata music] that was being recorded in the 1960s, some of them had this sort of doo-wop sound to them. It’s hard to go back now and speak to those artists and ask them what their influences were, but it sounds like they were getting some influence from the music that coming out of the U.S.”

Indeed, by sheer happenstance or design, the chorus of Bachata pioneer José Manuel Calderón’s “Llanto a La Luna” does have, in part, a doo-wop feel to it. That said, the line between both genres was permanently blurred by Aventura’s groundbreaking work, and it is due to that musical innovation—which began in the latter half of the ’90s—that we especially cannot ignore what the “B” in R&B actually stands for.

“With Aventura, we’re talking about a whole other thing, where [bachata] is really fused with R&B,” de Menil said. “It doesn’t have that traditional sound anymore. It’s a whole different animal.”

The Rise of New Bachata Songs

As Dominican-Americans from The Bronx, Lenny Santos and Anthony “Romeo” Santos (who is also half Puerto Rican) were raised on a steady musical diet of Rap, R&B, Merengue, Bachata and Salsa. Heck, Lenny, looking back on his childhood when I interviewed him and his brother, Max, in the summer of 2009, even mentioned regularly listening to grunge rock’s Pearl Jam on a walkman while rollerblading around his neighborhood.

Via Lenny’s guitar-playing, production and arrangements and Anthony’s songwriting and singing, Bachata has been unmistakably impacted by Blues-derived American popular music. Aventura’s last album—appropriately titled “The Last” (2009)—unequivocally validates said notion.

For instance, one of the album’s singles, “Dile al Amor,” ends with the repeated, reverberated and mellifluously delivered double-negative line, “I don’t need no love … in my life.” That portion of the song, I’m compelled to say, is eerily similar in sound and mood to The Flamingos’ version of “I Only Have Eyes for You” (1959).

Bachata Aventura Breaks Up

The group disbanded in 2011. Lenny and Max (bass) went on to form Bachata supergroup VENA with fellow Bronx native Steve Styles (formerly of Xtreme), leading to their 2012 hit, “Ya No”; singer and supporting vocalist Henry Santos embarked on a solo career and exhibited his famous dancing skills last year on “Mira Quien Baila,” Univision’s answer to ABC’s “Dancing with the Stars”; and Anthony, in 2011, featured R&B singer Usher on “Promise,” a single from his solo debut album, “Formula, Vol. 1.” “Promise” has peaked at No. 1 on the Billboard Latin Songs, Latin Pop Songs and Tropical Songs charts, and its video has (as of April 10, 2013) nearly 40.2 million views on YouTube.

Aventura’s distinct sound was met with disdain by Bachata’s traditionalists early on, but the group ultimately authored an important chapter of the Dominican narrative in the U.S. Their oeuvre, influenced and enriched as it was by hip hop and R&B music, linked Bachata to Blues through its two aforementioned descendants. Once separated by the vastness of the Atlantic ocean, bachata and Blues—each of which was born out of struggle—now proudly occupy common land.

En medio de prensa, luces, cámaras y decenas de seguidores el famoso exponente de Bachata Pop TOBY LOVE presento formalmente al publico de Nueva York su nuevo sencillo titulado ”Entra en mi Vida”.

Tobby Love es famoso por sus fusiones y mezclas de la tradicional bachata dominicana con ritmos urbanos como el R&B y Hip Hop. Una fusión que el artista a denominado “Crunkchata” – música romántica , corta venas con influencia de soul y jazz norteamericano.

El artista de origen puertorriqueño promociona el quinto sencillo de este álbum.“Entra en mi Vida” es un tema originalmente grabado por el grupo mexicano SIN BANDERA llega con nuevos arreglos vestido de bachata y trópico e interpretado por Toby junto al cantante Karlos Rose.

Los inicios del este popular cantante se remontan al año 2000 cuando comenzó como vocalista del popular grupo AVENTURA , donde permaneció hasta comenzar su Carrera como solista en el 2006 y lograr posicionarse como uno de los artistas mas exitosos del genero.

Tobby Love ya ha obtenido dos codiciados premios Billboards y varias nominaciones a importantes premios internacionales.

“Entra En MI Vida”es uno de los temas incluidos en el popular álbum BACHATA NATION” lanzado conjuntamente con Elegante Records y que ya ha ocupado los primeros lugares de popularidad.

Sin lugar a dudas, TOBY LOVE con su estilo romántico y su voz melodiosa se perfila indiscutiblemente como el nuevo rostro internacional de la bachata

The rumors have been consistent. Former members have talked about it. But this event could not be official without the certification of one specific person, Romeo Santos. Now it can be said. Aventura will be back, complete, and whole. They will reunite and New York will be the center of activity.

Felix Cabrera Presents has announced that all the original members will come together in a reunion tour in 2016. In addition to Romeo, it will include Henry Santos, whose solo career is starting to bloom, And Lenny and Max Santos, who founded a new group, Vena.

The tour has been confirmed to be exclusively in New York during February of 2016 in the United Palace in the heart of Washington Heights. Bachata will be in the air and more news will be following concerning this reunion in the days to come.

 

Humilde, tímido y agradeciéndole a Dios al final de cada frase, ese es Jordy Quintero, un joven cantante procedente de la ciudad de Guayaquil, Ecuador. De tez oscura, sonrisa amplia y mirada inocente, Jordy quien imita a la perfección al cantante Romeo Santos, nos ganó el corazón desde el primer momento por su simpatía y naturalidad.

Considerado por sus fans, un aún mejor cantante que Romeo, este talentoso muchacho se hizo famoso en todo Ecuador por su participación en el Reality Show “Yo Me Llamo”. Jordy, mejor conocido por todos como “El Romeo Santos Ecuatoriano”, se encuentra de visita en Estados Unidos realizando su primera gira internacional donde recorre las principales ciudades del país.

“La gente aquí, me ha dado un gran apoyo incondicional. Es un privilegio y gracias a Dios porque él me dio el talento y el carisma”

nos dice feliz este ecuatoriano de tan solo 21 años.  Quintero comenzó a cantar desde niño y se hizo famoso entre sus amigos y en la escuela por cantar y bailar las canciones de Michael Jackson, hasta que en el 2001, escucho por primera vez la música del famoso grupo de Bachata “Aventura” y se aprendió todas sus canciones.

“Todos me decían pero tu cantas igual que Romeo y los amigos y familiares me empezaron a llamar Aventura y luego Jordy Romeo”.

El éxito y la popularidad del este artista coincide con la fuerza que el ritmo dominicano, se ha expandido por toda Centro y Suramérica, y donde intérpretes como Prince Royce y Romeo Santos se encuentran en los primeros lugares en la preferencia del público.  Jordan nos comenta un poco apenado,

“aun no conozco a Romeo Santos personalmente pero espero con ansias que cuando sea la voluntad de Dios no podemos ver y le pueda decir cuanto lo admiro”

Por terceros, Quintero ya escucho que Romeo conoce de su existencia y que aprueba su trabajo. Con numerosas canciones propias, a Jordy le gusta también interpretar salsa, pero en todas las presentaciones la gente aclama que cante las canciones de Romeo. La similitud en el tono de voz es realmente asombrada y sería imposible reconocer la diferencia sino fuera por las evidentes diferentes físicas de este Romeo de la costa ecuatoriana con el Romeo original, que es un poco más bajo de estatura y con la piel más oscura que el famoso bachatero.

Este nuevo talento es representando por empresarios dominicanos y existen grandes planes de promoción entre los que se encuentran una gira por toda la Republica Dominicana, País que Quintero considera ya su segunda patria, por la bendición de conocer y enamorarse perdidamente del ritmo de la bachata.

Jordy Romeo o el Romeo Ecuatoriano cuenta con un talento evidente, gran carisma y un ángel muy especial que llama la atención de los fans de la bachata. El reto de este largo camino hacia la fama, será demostrar que es un cantante con luz propia más que el imitador de una estrella internacional

 

Aventura is the first bachata group to originate from the United States instead of the Dominican Republic. It consists of Anthony “Romeo” Santos, Henry Santos, Max Santos and Lenny Santos, also known as the modern “Bachata Kings.” Romeo and Henry are cousins who are coincidently friends of the brothers Max and Lenny despite having the same last name and all four of them growing up in the Bronx.

The band got its start when Romeo, a shy prepubescent choirboy, wrote poetry for a girl he had a crush on, and when he started listening to bachata music with his father at home. After finding his voice at the church and being moved by bachateros like Antony Santos, or El Mayimbe, with whom he has a similar name, he decided to pursue music seriously.

The original group’s moniker, “Los Teenagers de la Bachata,” consisted of Romeo as the composer/singer, Lenny as the guitarist/arranger and four other people in the pure bachata band. After playing in local festivals throughout New York during the boy band craze of the 1990s, the Dominican producer, Julio Cesar Garcia, revamped the group.

He added Max as bass/guitarist, Lenny as an additional composer/singer, focused the group to the four Santos boys, and encouraged them to break away from the old traditional bachata style, and embrace their eclectic love of different musical genres alongside bachata.

“Usual Bachata music was a guy in a guitar crying over a woman, we wanted to do it different… If a girl doesn’t like me – then forget her, I’ll go to the next girl, and this is the type of music we wanted to make,” said Romeo.

At first the group only found esteem in its native New York after the release of its first album, “Generation Next.” It wasn’t until their chart topping sophomore album, “We Broke the Rules” came out strong with the record breaking single “Obsesion” that it became world famous. Obsesion first garnered success by becoming a number one song overseas in several countries in Europe before being a hit in the United States. The spanglish version of the song further escalated the group, and Romeo became the first Hispanic to win an American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers award.

With this newfound achievement came backlash. Many artists and traditional listeners of bachata didn’t acknowledge the group because they didn’t dress like bachateros and they found the Aventura bachata-hip-hop-rap-rock-reggaeton fusion sound to stray too far from the old ways of the music. But Aventura stuck to its ways and continued to make songs that had a bachata backbone (songs of yearning that start with a spoken intro and repetitive chords) fused with mostly hip-hop and sometimes reggaeton beats.

“What I hate is the ‘haters’. There are a lot of haters in this industry, who just can’t accept that we did something new, we brought a new style, we are still up here, we’re not going anywhere and you’ve got to deal with us.”

Since 2000, the group has made nine albums, sold four million records in the U.S. and sold-out concerts at Madison Square Garden several times. After 2011, the members of the group have decided to follow their own musical paths. Max and Lenny created the group D’Element and Henry and Romeo are on solo artists.

Romeo is touring throughout the United States for his sophomore album “Formula Vol.2,” and Henry second album, “Henry Santos’ My Way,” will be released on June 25^th. Earlier this year, in January, Lenny had spoken about there being a possible Aventura reunion for the future.

Fun Facts

• They have been inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame
• The entire group is of Dominican descent, but Romeo is also half Puerto Rican
• They all attended South Bronx High School
• Lenny and Max didn’t think the group would disband until Henry decided to go solo
• Obsesion was number one in seven countries and is considered in France to be the 19^th best-selling song of the 21^st century

 

By Naeisha Rose

 

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Bachata or Salsa? Mofongo or Sancocho? It’s time to pick a side and squad up! Flama presents the ultimate battle between Puerto Ricans and Dominicans.

J’Martin is an example of what an artist can accomplish with the right mindset. Two years ago he was a solid artist among other solid artists. But with superior management and a reshuffling of outlook, J’Martin has moved into the upper echelon. He is enjoying a number one single “Yo Soy el Loco Aquel “ and has shared the stage recently with Gilberto Santa Rosa in big showcase events. His new album is here and like the title “Mi Tiempo” its a good place for this talented showman.

J’Martin definitely dresses the part. Always exquisitely presentable at all functions and shows. He enjoys the fashion aspect of the business and equates music together with it as an expression of great art.

“I have a secret weapon called Ariel Gonzalez, who is my stylist.”

J’ Martin admitted,

“We get together and check fashion magazines, websites, designer clothes. He understands me and is able to bring out the best in me dresswise.”

But dressing is only as effective as the man and the talent plus the work one puts into it. For example, J’Martin balanced his professional and personal life well, as well as showing great patience in making his album choices. He picked an astonishing 24 songs from as many as 350, 12 of which made up “Mi Tiempo.” ”

It was coordinated properly and had the best producers in the Bachata genre such as Pedro “SP” Polanco, Robinson Hernandez, and Steven Cruz.”

he explained,

“There is going to be a second album coming with the others, mainly duets.”

His third single from the album “Yo Soy el Loco Aquel.” A song that was presented by a Colombian songwriter (Diego Javier Gonzalez) who he found common ground. But it was producers Porfirio Pena and Pavel DeJesus who made a suggestion that gave it that extra something. His trust was rewarded in full.

“They felt it should have Tango for the dramatic effect and reached out to Hector del Curto.

We have had much success with this single along with “Cada Vez Que Te Vas” and “Ni Una Lagrima Mas.”

Inspired by his mother who through family reunions instilled an appreciation for different genres of music. What stood out for him from those family days he states plainly,

“I have been a lover of Tipico, Merengue, and Bachata all my life. It’s what my parents played and what I geard and danced to growing up both in Santiago and New York.”

J’Martin armed with a diversified music past and along with his passion has sustained the desire. He explained what motivates him on a daily basis to be his best.

“The same spirit and invisible force that has done the job for my businesses,”

J’Martin pointed out,

“It’s something indescribable, that voice and heartbeat that tells you to keep going.”

Many see only the end product and rarely the reasons for an artist’ rise to the top levels. In J’Martin case his manager is a crucial reason.

“Hard work, an experienced manager who has helped me understand my vision, helping lead me to the light at the end of the tunnel by making me understand the most important piece in the music business are great songs, perserverance, and hard work.”

But public perception may be the most misunderstood when it comes to music artists. Often they see the glory and never the grime. J’Martin shared the apprehensions and items most don’t see behind the curtain.

“The public has this view that most of the time is from red carpets which is what is covered in papers or blogs.”

J’Martin shared,

“The hard work that we have to go through from label rejections or people who don’t believe in your art. The fear of putting all the effort in recording a song and not being accepted by the audiences.”

But at the end of the day the thing that is most rewarding for an artist like J’Martin is quite simple really.

“When I hear the applauses or a simple thank you from someone who says that song changed his or her life, that keeps me going.”

This past December in a concert in the Dominican Republic called “La Gira de la Gobernaciones para el Pueblo” was a case in point where artists were able to perform in smaller towns that don’t have the finances to see stars perform live like Arenoso that stuck in the memory of J’Martin. “The respect, humility, and love that was received reassured me that this has been the right path all along.”

Toby Love has had a good three year run with two number one songs in the Tropical charts and several nominations for the upcoming 2015 Juventud Awards on March 27th. It has been an impressive peak from recent valleys and Toby, who sees himself as the “underdog” can point to a major reason, control.

“It’s the fans. Also I am on an independent label now, I have more control when it comes to my music.”

Toby explained,

It’s easier now because I’m the one who decides. I’m in a better place now.”

Social media continues to work for those artists who know how to make it work for them. Toby has reaped the rewards for example as he is up for “Ringtone of the Year.” To that end Toby is releasing an APP for this fans as well which is being earmarked for iphones and android and will be called “The Toby Love” app. The fans will be exposed to new platforms and web episodes and everything Toby.

“I’m trying to get my hands on everything, trying to take music to the next level, anything new that I can bring it to the forefront.”

Toby Love said,

“People want to know what your doing.”

Toby is pushing a new album this summer and with colloborations with artists like French Montana and “Fuego”, Toby’ career appears to be heading in the proper direction. He is excited about the possibilities. “Grand things. I will be visiting Europe for the fourth time this year, releasing new video in the Dominican Republic, and then an east coast tour. We will be in a town near you.”

What makes Toby so engaging is his honesty about the business without sounding bitter. But in one area he was straight to the point. Bachata, in it’s newer form has taken Latin music by storm the last few years and Toby shared his thoughts.

“The biggest Latin artists in my opinion are Bachata artists. My brother Hector, Romeo Santos, myself and Prince Royce ”

Toby explained,

“The movement is still growing cause the youth loves this. As long as it re-invents itself and colloborates with other artists, like my duet with French Montana, that breaks barriers and brings in new fans.

Its the red carpet preceeding the latest edition of the “Premio Lo Nuestro” Awards. A young lady, dressed elegantly, was getting noticed and the attention she received was quite a contrast from her previous appearance at these same awards in 2012. Her name is Santaye and the latest point of reference for a career on the upswing was her nomination for “Tropical Female Artist of the Year.” Though she lost out to Olga Tanon, she has come a long way in five years.

“I don’t get desperate. I put things in the hands of God.”

Santaye explained,

“One moment life can change, its only one moment.”

she says in a low tone.

The Bali, Dominican Republic native, a place of creative personalities, went from college graduate to looking to New York to prove a point to people around, even family. So with a songbook of lyrics and a dream, Santaye made her move.

“I have eight brothers, very competitive.”

Santaye shared,

“But when I came here, alone, I put it out there that I am going to prove to everyone I can do this.”

The results was an album that highlighted a rare mix of Bachata in both Spanish and English. It placed her on the map but only locally. But soon she assembled the right team and while in Miami, is working on her second album, which is a polar opposite of her first effort.

“My mood on the first was more feeling, more personal.”

Santaye recalled,

“This one has more modern sounds. I risked myself more as a musician. You can feel its me, writing lyrics people can engage in for years.’

Santaye admitted the new project was a surprise even to herself. But one thing she will not fiddle with is her soul. Refusing to limit herself yet holding to her faith, Santaye has a passionate opinion concerning changing too much.

“I’m consistent in my music, presenting the same face of music, this is important.”

Santaye proclaimed,

“Everything else can change, but the music, has to be modern, go with the times. but the face. you can never change.”

Santaye is looking to do more traveling and engaging in one of her favorite pursuits, languages. Having already traveled to Central America and various U.S. cities, Santaye is looking to work some serious miles in the air this year.

“This is the first time I’m doing some real traveling.”

she smiles excitedly,

“I love visiting countries just to learn languages. On my computer I have Mandarin, Portuguese, French, and English, though I have to think a lot, I can do it better than French.”

Santaye laughs.

But Santaye is going to find it difficult to find the time. The reason is her increased demand on her time. But she recalls not so long ago when she found her moment, like being named “Artist of the Future” two years running by the Grammy Committee.

“That was another checkpoint in my career which was really important.”

Santaye says,

“The attention, this is all for me, letting me know know things are going in the right direction.”

And indeed, like her music, its flying off into a stratosphere of its own.

DOMENIC MARTE, born in Lawrence, MA., is of Puerto Rican & Dominican descent with the capacity to interpret and perform outside the sometimes confirming realms and speculations set forth by specific musical genres flowing from these two Caribbean wonderlands as he cleverly fuses rhythms, sound and talent effortlessly in his Bachata Pop style sound.

DOMENIC MARTE is not only multi-talented, but a man with a bright future ahead. Of the 16 songs that cohabit in the 1st album, on “Intimamente” He not only wrote 6 songs but also majestically produced one of the tracks, “Find Another Man” on the first album “ Intimamente”.On “Deseos De Amarte” and The NEW album “The Voice” Domenic Marte wrote 6 songs each. That alone makes quite a statement as to the many hats DOMENIC MARTE is capable of wearing artist, producer and song writer. 8 of the album tracks are performed in English combined on all 3 albums while the remainder of the album is in Spanish on “Intimamente” “Deseos De Amarte” “The Voice”. The album consists of a variety of musical styles from Latin Pop and Bachata to some smoothed out R&B.

The first single, “VEN TU” in 2004 with close to 2 million hits on YouTube was sizzling in every sense of the word; a modern day Bachata, spiced with Latin emotion, passion, style and flavor, produced by Gio Williams and brilliantly written by Wascar Brazoban, but it’s DOMENIC MARTE soulful sense of interpretation that makes the song sultry and alive. Today “Ven Tu” is a worldwide hit in many Latin Countries around the world and Europe. The Album”Intimamente” also had other hit songs like
“Ella Se Llevo Mi Vida Feat Geraldine” “La Quiero” “Ya Que Te Vas A Ir” were all top 10 songs on Latin Tropical, Spanish Contemporary & Regional Mexican radio stations around the US and abroad.

DOMENIC MARTE kept going with his courage to inject the Latin Music Bachata Industry with a NEW album entitled “DESEOS DE AMARTE” using his outmost creativity to unite both Pop music and Bachata of which is known to be fully Tropical, has demonstrated his talent, abilities, and creativity as an artist who is willing to add an extra bit of spice into the “traditional.” It is a great risk, yet as he has previously proven with his previous success song in the past “Ven Tu” and other songs.

DOMENIC MARTE 2nd album “DESEOS DE AMARTE ” earned the way to being nominated in 2010 with “ERES ASI” as SONG of the year and 3 other NOMINATIONS on Premio Lo Nuestro Latin award show on Univision TV a Nationally televised Award show. 6 other songs on the “DESEOS DE AMARTE”album where also top 10 on Latin Tropical, Spanish Contemporary & Regional Mexican Stations around the US and abroad. “Deseos De Amarte” Con Los Ojos Cerados feat Geraldine” “Yo Me Equivoco” “Que Importa Amiga Mia” “Ese Soy Yo” “Mia Nada Mas”.

DOMENIC MARTE has more to offer to the higher demand for his fans and HE is the ORIGINATOR of the Bachata Popmusic Style. A new and revolving culture of Bachata Pop worldwide. Domenic Marte using his passion and dedication has pursued this new “twist” to further his sound with his NEW 2014 3rd album entitled “THE VOICE”. It is because of his transparency and passion for the music Bachata Pop that he is fearless of failure, but demonstrates his talents to be innovative and willingness to accept the requests of his fans globally & why they refer to him as the “Gipsy of Bachata”“THE VOICE” has proven to be another album that has captivated Latin Tropical Stations, Spanish Contemporary & Regional Mexican stations in the US and abroad with “Muero De Celos Feat Luz Rios” peeking at num 4 on the Billboard Tropical Latin Chart.

Domenic Marte also featured his duet with Luz Rios on Sabado Gigante with Don Francisco on Univison on the 50th Anniversary of Sabado Gigante that was featured on the weekend of Thanksgiving in 2012. Primer ImpactoUnivision also came down to do an exclusive on the video behind the scenes on “Muero De Celos” that was featured on their show. “The Voice has made is way thru the Latin Tropical Stations along with “Horoscopo” “No Se Por Que” “Despues De Ti No Hay Nada” all top 10 hits across the Tropical, Spanish Contemporary & Regional Mexican radio stations in the US & abroad.

DOMENIC MARTE or D’MARTE, whichever you prefer, will prove to have the innovative strength and youthful energy to revitalize that special spark of the Latin Bachata Pop style as he sets out to the world and capture the hearts of a new generation of Latin music lovers. 


Eddie Rodriguez Domenic Marte manager worked doing National radio promotions in the American market for 25 years before managing Domenic Marte. They both took it upon themselves along with JN Records to work his albums WORLD WIDE. They both have worked the music with over 15 songs on TOP 10 on Tropical, Spanish Contemporary and Regional Mexican stations in the US and abroad.

What to say about SANTAYE! This a pop Caribbean diva Is hwaded for Premios in a few short weeks.

Her sultry voice and passionate display of emotion in my favorite videos ‘Corazon’ and ‘Eres Tu’ are just of the few of her artist secrets this powerful lyrics is willing to share with her fans.

Santaye’s itinerary Is completely booked until next Spring. But being nominated at Premio lo Nuestro as Best Female Artist of the year Tropical”. Are you surprised? Is a whole’nother level artist. She Is not an artist trying to get noticed on Promo shows, Santaye’s captivating performances are what got her nominated. We Looking For her! And why not, though?

As I said before I see a big future from this l songstress. Maybe in a tele- novela, on Telemundo, as the protagonista. Who knows? But something tells me there is a lot more emotion she wants to share with the world. I could see her on ” Young & The Restless”

It is evident that she represents true confidence with natural talent and beauty. No audio edit or plastic here. This is the type of role model young Latinas should look upto.

Cant wait to see Santaye rock it out on the red carpet.

When The Prince of Bachata, Prince Royce, participated in the Christmas celebration at Rockefeller Center in New York, I couldn’t think of any other way to celebrate the tree lighting this year.

The Christmas Tree Lighting has the strongest viewership national, attracting thousands of spectators and millions watching on television. That is awesome!

Prince Royce charismatic performance of “Jingle Bell Rock” really reminded me of the innocence of Christmas. The hot chocolate, the candy canes and the sneak peeks of presents, Such great memories!

Don’t get me wrong, Mariah Carey, Lady Gaga, singer Tony Bennett, among other artist blew me away this Christmas but Royce is Royce. With all the chaos and the rally’s, Royce gave New York for one brief moment a night of nostalgic remembrance and fun reminiscing.

Keep on Rockin’ Royce! I hope to see you next year, but singing to your sweetheart fans “All I Want For Christmas Is You!”

I am very sure there are a number of them that would want you under mistletoe.